New Delhi: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added a new layer to his controversial criticism of Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur's posts with a reference to her father, a soldier who was killed in action in 1999.
"She is a martyr's daughter. His soul must be weeping that his daughter is being misguided by those who celebrate on the bodies of martyrs," Mr Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home, said today.
Yesterday, he had disapproved of a post by Ms Kaur and stressed, "Everyone has freedom of speech and expression. Do whatever you want but don't say anything against the country."
His tweet delivered a sharper message.
Mr Rijiju was responding to a video that the student had posted last year, holding up a placard that says: "Pakistan didn't kill my father, war did". She had posted the video in May as an appeal for peace between India and Pakistan. The post was shared again after Ms Kaur's social media campaign against ABVP, the BJP-linked student body accused of violence at the Ramjas College last week, went viral. She alleged rape threats on Twitter, after which she was given police protection yesterday.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today appeared to justify some of the criticism.
While calling the threats to Ms Kaur condemnable, Mr Naidu said her statement on Pakistan "did not go down well" with people.
"The war was initiated by Pakistan...one should understand. She must be properly guided in this regard, I personally feel and that's why the reaction from the famous cricketer Sehwag...he tweeted that his bat scored triple century, not him...the same is the case here also," said the senior minister.
The storm on twitter escalated after Virender Sehwag's post.
Among those who applauded the former India opener was actor Randeep Hooda, who later posted a clarification on Facebook and commented, "Don't hang me over a laugh".
"She is a martyr's daughter. His soul must be weeping that his daughter is being misguided by those who celebrate on the bodies of martyrs," Mr Rijiju, the Minister of State for Home, said today.
Yesterday, he had disapproved of a post by Ms Kaur and stressed, "Everyone has freedom of speech and expression. Do whatever you want but don't say anything against the country."
Mr Rijiju was responding to a video that the student had posted last year, holding up a placard that says: "Pakistan didn't kill my father, war did". She had posted the video in May as an appeal for peace between India and Pakistan. The post was shared again after Ms Kaur's social media campaign against ABVP, the BJP-linked student body accused of violence at the Ramjas College last week, went viral. She alleged rape threats on Twitter, after which she was given police protection yesterday.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu today appeared to justify some of the criticism.
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"The war was initiated by Pakistan...one should understand. She must be properly guided in this regard, I personally feel and that's why the reaction from the famous cricketer Sehwag...he tweeted that his bat scored triple century, not him...the same is the case here also," said the senior minister.
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Among those who applauded the former India opener was actor Randeep Hooda, who later posted a clarification on Facebook and commented, "Don't hang me over a laugh".
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